


Feathers Fall

by Peanut0257



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Della and Louie’s relationship is rockier than it seems, Gen, I didn’t mean to add Drake but whatevs, I just decided that a lot of this fic is gonna have Penny and Donald being salty in the background, I started this long before Moonvasion!, Team Magic is here and beautiful, This is like soo funny though, actually I started this after The Golden Spear! and was very happy to add Donald in, also Dewey doesn’t mean anything he’s saying he’s just super dramatic, also the Sabrewings adopting Lena is amazing and added ten years onto my life, because I literally cannot stop myself from adding hilarious things I come up with in the shower, buckle your seatbelts everybody, but I can’t not add Penny, some angst is a-comin’, they’re both trying so hard though, very slight Penpad content but it’s not the main focus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-01-04 04:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21191210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peanut0257/pseuds/Peanut0257
Summary: An adventure goes awry when a molting Louie pauses to scratch his itches.The clock is ticking for the family to find him, and luck has never been on their side.Louie struggles with poorly packed supplies while Della struggles with the weight of her meticulously planned adventure as it crashes down around her.





	1. A Rude Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon time: 
> 
> Since Louie took 48 minutes to hatch, he’s also behind in other things. Growth spurts, molts, etc. As a general rule, he’s 2-3 months behind on molts. To prevent bullying at school, Donald helped the boys fake his molt when his brothers first molted around 6, and his hoodie was very useful to cover up when his own began. 
> 
> Their second molt was in the mansion about a month before Della’s return, where they continued the cover-up because Louie was still sensitive about it. With the eventfulness of the next two months, Louie’s late molt was all but forgotten. 
> 
> This story takes place like a month after Moonvasion.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louie wakes up to find his late molt has begun. To make matters worse, this is the day of the big adventure Della’s been planning for months. 
> 
> At least they’re having pancakes for breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins. 
> 
> Poor Louie’s gonna have a not-so fun time. 
> 
> Has anyone told this child he doesn’t have to hide it??

Louie itched. Not the half-hearted, oh-something’s-tickling-my-arm-very-slightly-and-it’s-mildly-annoying kind of itchy, the  _ bad _ kind of itchy. The kind that spreads all over your body like an agonizing wave of fire. 

With a moan, he sat up and leaned against his pillows. He rubbed his eyes drowsily, and feathers fell into his lap. Yawning, he snuggled back down under his blankets, trying to get a few more blissful minutes of sleep. 

Wait. 

Feathers?

Louie’s eyes snapped open and he jerked upright. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he watched in horror as feathers seemed to rain down from his face. He scratched his itching scalp, only to pull away even more downy feathers. 

He was molting. He was molting? He was  _ molting! _

This wasn’t possible. He’d already molted: Uncle Donald and Webby and Mrs. B had made a huge occasion out of it, collecting down for a scrapbook and taking pictures of their fully grown adolescent plumage once it was finished. 

Then, his sleepy brain finally caught up.  Oh. Right. Huey  and Dewey  had molted . They’d just unanimously decided to fake Louie’s molting as well, to keep their new family from asking questions or judging. He was, as usual, a couple months behind. 

He sighed and flopped back onto his pillows, absently itching an arm. He thought quietly for a few minutes, then carefully gathered up every single stray feather and stuffed them into his pillowcase, which he turned so the opening faced the wall. Then he wrapped himself back up in his blankets and rolled over to go to sleep. 

He tried. Eventually he gave up on sleep and settled for pretending. 

The bed shook.  _ Huey’s up, _ he noted. He could hear his eldest brother cheerfully humming to himself as he started his morning routine. 

Louie hated it. How could Huey  _ possibly _ be so happy this early in the morning? 

The bed shook violently and Huey’s humming paused. He made a confused “hm?” The bed creaked slightly as he undoubtedly moved to peer over the edge. 

Something went  _ thump _ . Louie heard Huey sigh and move to the ladder as Dewey groaned in pain from the floor. 

“ _ Not _ the best way to wake up,” the middle triplet groaned. 

Louie could picture Huey helping his immediately younger brother up, probably checking for injuries and ruffling his hair. 

There was more rustling as his brothers got dressed and prepared for the day. Dewey loudly hummed to himself as he posed in front of the mirror, probably. It sounded like Huey was quietly packing his backpack. 

Finally, there was silence. That wasn’t good. The door creaked loudly when it opened. 

Then, haltingly, Dewey asked, “Should- should we tell him?” 

Louie strained his ears, waiting for Huey to respond. When he heard soft footfalls, he realized that  _ was _ the response. 

A weight settled on the edge of his bed. Louie didn’t budge. A gentle hand found his shoulder and lightly shook it, which caused a horrible itching sensation. He had to physically restrain himself from scratching, and bit his tongue to stop a whimper. 

“Louie,” Huey said softly. “It’s time to wake up.” 

The duckling in question stayed stock still and hoped his breathing was regular enough to pass for sleeping. 

He felt Dewey flop impatiently onto the foot of his bunk. “ _ Louuuie _ ,” he whined. “I’ve been looking forward to this adventure for  _ weeks _ , if you mess this up my entire  _ life _ will be ruined!” 

Louie rolled his eyes at that last part. Dewey was so dramatic. 

He heard a smacking sound and an indignant “ow!” before the duckling on the foot of the bed left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. 

“C’mon,” Huey encouraged him, rubbing his back. Louie grumbled and burrowed further into the blankets. 

Huey sighed. “He wasn’t joking, you know,” he told his little brother seriously. “If anything goes wrong on this adventure, he’ll be devastated. He wants us to impress Mom so badly.” 

Louie jolted. Careful to keep his fallen feathers out of sight, he turned to Huey in panic. “Wait, that was  _ today?! _ ” He yelped. 

His brother nodded absently, adjusting his hat. He didn’t seem to notice Louie’s panicking, he just opened the door, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll leave you to get dressed! See you at breakfast!” The door closed behind him. 

Louie scrambled to move, getting himself hopelessly tangled in his blankets before he tumbled to the floor along with a few handfuls of feathers. 

He lunged at the door and locked it. That done, he slid down in defeat. 

Mom had been planning this adventure for months. She’d searched for a day that no one had busy. 

No sleepovers with Violet and Lena, no business meetings, none of Launchpad’s Darkwing Duck marathons with his new best friend. Even  _ Uncle Donald _ was going. 

Louie could’ve almost felt the bliss of vegging out on the couch watching Ottoman Empire all day. Maybe introducing Mom to it. 

And then she’d had to go and write “Family Adventure Day!” on it. With a smiley face. That smiley face  _ mocked _ him. 

She’d spent all month planning the perfect adventure, one filled with daring bravado and lots of deadly monsters and dangerous traps with an ancient and legendary treasure at the end of it. 

Louie couldn’t possibly be less prepared. 

But there was no way he wasn’t going. If there was a way out, he’d have used it by now. But he knew that if this day was anything less than perfect, Dewey would never speak to him again, and while that sometimes seemed like a complete win, he couldn’t do that to his brother. 

Besides, if he disappointed his mom he’d have to wipe himself off the face of the earth. Maybe even launch himself into the abyss of space, to be consumed by the void, never to be heard from again. 

A tiny part of his mind whispered that he was probably overreacting, that his mom would love him no matter what, that it didn’t matter if he was a lousy adventurer because Della would always be proud of him. 

But over the years, the quiet voice that hissed he was never good enough and he was a bad egg grew stronger until it had drowned out every other voice in his head, evolving into a chorus that endlessly confirmed his worst doubts and fears, and it was this voice that he listened to now. 

As he pulled on his softest hoodie, fresh out of the wash courtesy of Mrs. B, he located his backpack. With a sigh, he picked it up. He ruffled through it, pulling out any garbage and half-heartedly tossing it towards the garbage can. 

Conveniently, everything “necessary for survival” was already in there, because he hadn’t unpacked it after their  _ last _ adventure. 

Weighing it experimentally in his hands, he muttered under his breath, “I didn’t even  _ use _ half of this stuff on our last adventure. Or the one before that. And it’s heavy, and awkward, and there’s no room to cram extra snacks in...” he trailed off, an idea forming in his mind. 

Louie settled down comfortably and started rummaging through his pack. He began tossing various items over his shoulder. 

Flint and steel. “Useless.” Travel toothbrush and toothpaste. “How long does he think we’re gonna be gone for?” Compass. “Huey  _ is _ a compass.” 

Hard rations. “Ew!” He sat back on his heels, lifting the offending item with his thumb and forefinger in a disgusted manner. “Ugh, how old are these?” He gave the baggie a sniff and gagged. “Oh! I’m gonna throw up.” He covered his beak with his free hand and gagged into it. Giving the bag’s contents a second glance, he suddenly pulled it up to his disbelieving face. “Ew, this thing has  _ raisins? _ Blegh, Huey!” 

He opened the window and hurled the bag of hard rations as far as he could. With a triumphant smirk, he watched it sail out over the trees and deep into the forest. Satisfied, he closed the window and continued with his task. 

Rope. “Uncle Donald’s probably packed a mile of it.” He liked tying everyone together so no one would get lost. It was annoying. 

Bug spray. “I think he’s worrying about the wrong thing here.” Umbrella. “Really, Hue?” 

Pocket knife. “Nope. If I need a knife, I’ll just ask Beakley.” He tested his thumb on the blade. “It’s super dull, anyway.” Over his shoulder it went. 

Swimsuit. “I’m not planning on falling into any rivers,” Louie grumbled. “Next!” 

Itch cream. “Oh, I was  _ wondering _ if he packed anything useful.” This, he carefully set aside. 

Walkie-talkie. “Oh-hohoho, I am  _ not _ getting separated today.” He gently set it aside. A map of the area. Louie had vague recollections of Huey double-checking everyone’s bags the night before. He moved to crumple it up, then stopped. With a sigh, he put it next to the anti-itch cream. 

As the bag emptied, his pile gradually grew larger. 

Finally, he packed what he deemed essential. First aid kit, poncho, anti-itch cream, map, canteen, plastic bag for his phone in case of water, and headphones. 

He tested his pack on his shoulders. Nice and light. Now, to fill it with snacks. 

He ran gleefully from the room, not looking back at the enormous mess he’d left behind. He didn’t notice the shadow in the window, or the angry growl that accompanied it. 

* * *

Louie pulled his hood up before entering the kitchen. He’d done his best to smooth over the bald spots and only scratch where he could easily cover it, but feathers fell at the drop of a hat. 

He forgot all about the itches when the scent of breakfast reached him. Chocolate, syrup- it could only mean one thing. 

Louie sprinted to the dining room, where his entire family sat, munching on pancakes. Mrs. Beakley was cooking. Scrooge was reading the newspaper while Donald watched Della and Dewey whisper with mild suspicion. Huey and Webby were plotting something, with Lena and Violet practicing a little magic. 

Launchpad was offering Penumbra food, which meant he very much liked her. If Louie were to hazard a guess, he assumed she had no clue about it. 

“Pancakes!” Louie cried gleefully before racing to the table. 

Mrs. B hummed tunelessly, which Louie had long since noticed was something she did when she was happy. “Fresh as it comes, dear.” 

Pounding their fists on the tabletop with silverware in hand, Della and Dewey chanted “CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE!” while Scrooge rolled his eyes, amused. Donald smirked at his sister and nephew. 

“Granny, can I have blueberries in mine?” Webby asked. 

“Of course, dear.” Mrs B said fondly, ruffling her granddaughter’s hair as she set a plate of chocolate-chip pancakes on the table. She looked to her other charges. “Violet, Lena, dears, what would you like?”

“I’ll take blueberry.” Violet said decisively. 

Lena shrugged. “Eh, just give me whatever.” 

Della and Dewey reached forward to grab pancakes, only to flinch back and shake their wrists. Mrs Beakley regarded them coolly, spatula at the ready to defend the new batch from the ravenous duo. 

Mrs B raised an eyebrow. “Going for thirds so soon?” She asked amiably. 

“Yep!” Della responded cheerfully, making a grab at the plate. 

Again, the spatula flicked and snapped against her wrist with astounding speed. 

“Wait your turn please, dear.” It didn’t sound like a request. 

Della jumped back once more as the spatula flicked against her wrist again. 

“What, B, are you kidding me?” She asked, gesturing to the plate indignantly. “There’s like, fifty pancakes right there!” 

Donald burst into hysterical laughter. Della shut him up by snatching a pancake and stuffing it into his beak. He choked, then immediately retaliated. 

Mrs. B sighed deeply at their antics, although she couldn’t stop a small smile. Humming softly to herself, she smacked Dewey’s hand again as he tried to snatch pancakes from Louie, who was just trying to get some food. 

Louie loaded his plate with pancakes. “Oooh, thanks, Mrs. B.” He said giddily. 

“You’re welcome, dear,” she replied absently, already working on the next batch. 

At moans of disappointment, Louie looked up. Launchpad had claimed the other few pancakes from the batch Louie was attacking, and Della and Dewey were not happy. 

Beakley gently smacked Della in the back of the head. “Oh, lighten up, there’s more on the way. Leave poor Launchpad alone.” 

Everyone watched as Launchpad poured too much syrup onto his plate, then panicked. “What do I do?!?” 

“Use more pancakes to soak it up!” Della yelled. 

“Get Duckworth to clean it!” Louie suggested. This earned him a glare from the ghost butler. 

“I’ll get a sponge,” Huey said. 

“Lick it up!” Dewey encouraged. Donald smacked him. 

Penumbra grabbed a pancake off her own plate, pressed it on the syrup threatening to flow onto the table, and moved the syrup-filled pancake back to her plate. 

“Quick thinking, Penny!” Della grinned. 

The Moonlander shrugged. “ _ Someone _ had to do something.” She took a big bite. 

Launchpad looked starry-eyed. 

Dewey nudged Launchpad. “You okay?” He asked. 

“She’s amazing,” Launchpad mumbled dazedly. 

Louie rolled his eyes from across the table.

* * *

Breakfast couldn’t last forever, however, and eventually everyone stood outside. Della checked her list one last time. 

“Okay, everyone onto the Cloudslayer!” She counted everyone off as they filed onto the plane. “Launchpad, Mrs. B, Uncle Scrooge, Penny, Donald-” she paused as they both slapped each other in the face with all the casualness of a high-five “-Huey, Dewey, Webby, Lena, Violet, and-” she squinted at the figure passing by. “Launchpad’s friend-” 

“Drake,” he supplied. 

“What I said,” she winked and gestured toward the plane. He got on with a chuckle. “And we’re ready to- wait, no, we’re waiting on Louie. Louie!” 

From the plane, Dewey let out an exaggerated groan. “I  _ told _ him not to ruin this adventure!” 

“Louie?” Della called again, uncertainly. She remembered their fight and briefly worried that despite their make-up during the invasion, he still didn’t forgive her. 

These fears were quelled the moment the door opened and he hopped down the steps. “Coming!” He called, running over. 

He stopped in front of Della sheepishly. “I, uh, I was stocking up on snacks,” he admitted. 

She grinned down at him and winked. “Always a good plan.” 

She checked the last box on her list. “And, Louie, and me! We’re all set!” 

With that, Della reached her hand out to Louie, and he took it. She beamed as they walked into the Sunchaser together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I have no idea how notes work lol
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! I’ll have another chapter on the way eventually.
> 
> Either that, or I’ll post a completely different work and forget about this one for three months.
> 
> Edit: okay, the mental image of Donald and Della casually slapping each other in the face as Donald walks by was just too good to pass up.
> 
> Also, the growl in the window after Louie chucked his hard rations out? Gavin the Bigfoot, who is here because I initially wrote this way before Richest Duck in the World and thought the crew forgot about him. He doesn’t get to do anything bc I hate his guts for obviously wanting revenge on our little green bean.
> 
> I totally forgot how epic and ominous the summary is. No wonder everyone’s asking for more. Y’all wanna see what happens next. So do I lol.


	2. The Journey Begins!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The flight to the place they’re going (which I should’ve made up a while ago but oh well). 
> 
> Louie’s still suffering but finds comfort and distraction hanging with his mom. These two are a force of chaos and don’t you forget it.
> 
> Della accidentally helped Louie continue hiding the fact that he has like ten useful things at most and the rest just snacks in his backpack. She’ll regret that later, don’t worry. Or do worry. Your choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this chapter is pure fluff. Just hilarity everywhere. 
> 
> Della is quite aware her pilot buddy has a crush on Penny and she’s like “Dude go for it.” 
> 
> Della steals hats. It’s her thing. Louie doesn’t have a hat though so she has to settle for his backpack. This family is terrible with words but they’ve got pranks down.

Louie curled up in one of the Sunchaser’s chairs. As he tried not to focus on how itchy he felt, he heard Dewey and Webby excitedly talking about the upcoming adventure. 

He looked around the plane. 

Launchpad had put his Darkwing Duck VHS into the plane’s TV, and he sat next to a clearly annoyed Penumbra, explaining the context for jokes. Violet and Huey were poring over the books the young hummingbird had checked out from the library. Louie could hear them arguing about nerdy things, although they both had smiles on their faces so he assumed it wasn’t serious. Mrs. B was talking to Lena softly, and the teen suddenly lunged forward into a hug. Launchpad’s new BFF sat next to him, occasionally piping up with trivia and helping Launchpad explain things to Penny.

Scrooge and Donald were sitting close together, talking quietly. Louie groaned when he saw Donald pull his phone out.

_ Great. By the time we get there, Uncle Donald’s gonna have shown everyone all our baby pictures. _

Louie scratched absentmindedly at his arm before he realized what he was doing and stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket. Shifting around, he tried to get into a comfortable position.  _ Might as well catch some Z’s on the way. _

* * *

After a few minutes, the noise from the other kids and the itchiness made sleep impossible. He grumbled and stood up, climbing up the ladder to the cockpit. Meaning to curl up into the unoccupied seat, he heard a familiar tune. 

Louie stopped and watched the pilot fiddle with some dials, humming to herself quietly. She messed with the GPS a little, looking at the small text beside the map, then pulled down the mic. 

“This is your pilot speaking,” she announced conversationally through the intercom. “We’ll be arriving at our destination in T-minus 3 hours.” 

Everyone cheered, and Della let them for a few seconds before interrupting. 

“Dewey, if you stick your head out the window again I will ground you until you’re 30.” 

The duckling in question groaned while the others laughed at him. Huey offered to triple-check everyone’s packs. With a jolt, Louie realized his wasn’t on his back. He was about to run down and grab it when someone tapped his shoulder. 

“Woah! On edge much?” Della laughed as he jumped a foot in the air. 

“I, uh, you- plane?” Louie stammered, heart still pounding. 

She shrugged. “I set the trim. We won’t be hitting anything unless it’s flying, and there’s not much on the radar.” She gestured to the little dial, and Louie eyed it skeptically. 

“Well, uh, I’ve gotta go- uh, check my bag.” He turned to run, but she gently grabbed his shoulder. 

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” she said affectionately. “I brought it up here when Launchpad and I swapped shifts.” Della reached down and lifted up Louie’s backpack, which he grabbed with relief. 

“Oh, thanks- wait. Why?” Louie asked suspiciously. 

“Hey, if I gotta hold someone’s backpack hostage to spend quality bonding time with them, I will. I’ve done it with Donald’s hat tons of times.” Della winked at him with a mischievous smile. She gestured to the chair on her right. “Wanna copilot?” 

“Uhhh…” he tried to think of a non-offensive way to say, ‘I have no skills whatsoever and this will end in complete disaster’, but she seemed to notice his hesitation. 

“You don’t have to actually fly the Cloudslayer.” Della reassured him. When he continued to hem and haw, she added, “Come on. Launchpad’s off trying to woo Penny. I could use the company.” 

“Well, okay.” Louie conceded. She beamed super big again as he clambered into the chair beside hers, hoping it would distract him from the awful itching.

* * *

Louie looked out the window silently. He didn’t seem to want to talk. After about ten minutes of this, Della leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, “Did you know there’s a separate audio system for the cockpit?”

Curious, Louie turned to her and asked, “Really?” 

She winked. “Check the compartment.” 

He looked at the dashboard with a confounded expression on his face, then blankly turned back to her. 

Della tried and failed to hold in a snort, and Louie’s expression soured. 

“Sorry,” she snickered. “You just look so adorable when you’re confused.” 

He turned a little red, and she laughed again. 

“It’s under your seat.” She hinted. 

Louie leaned over in his chair, then wriggled around so his knees were on the cushion while the rest of his body bent down. She heard grunts as he pulled the compartment open and reached inside. 

“Ooh! These are CD’s!” He exclaimed, wiggling his tail excitedly. “Where did you get these?”

Della hurriedly pulled her phone out and took a short video.  _ He’s just too cute,  _ she thought fondly. “Stole ‘em from Donnie’s room. Don’t tell him.”

“I make no promises,” Louie replied as he popped back up, CD’s in hand. 

Della chuckled. “Fair enough.” 

“Wow,” he sighed, shaking his head disappointedly with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Stealing from your own brother. How old are you again?” He froze, eyes going wide in sudden apprehension. 

Della panickedly turned back to the windshield, grabbing the yoke, her eyes racing across the nearby airspace. “What? What is it!? Did you see something!?” 

He shook his head, eyes wide with surprise. “I- no! No, I didn’t, I- uh,” he stammered. 

She sighed with relief. “Oh, good.” She relaxed her grip on the yoke. 

After an awkward silence, Della stole a glance at him. He seemed really nervous, and she tried to think of a way to cheer him up. With a smirk, she nudged his elbow and muttered, “By the way, I’m old enough to know better.” 

Louie snorted.

* * *

The next three hours were spent singing along to Donald’s old rock albums, telling jokes, and sharing embarrassing stories about their siblings. By the time Della paused the music to announce their arrival, Louie was genuinely having a great time. 

She pulled down the mic, then glanced at him. They both giggled mischievously as she passed it over to him. 

Louie stood and walked to the railing, where he leaned comfortably as he casually brought the mic up to his beak. 

“Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking,” he paused to snicker as the whole family jolted and stared up at him with expressions widely ranging from mild surprise to shocked horror. He could hear Della stifling laughter behind him. “We’re- we’ve arrived at our destination and will be landing shortly.” 

He snickered again at Donald’s face as it slowly changed from pure horror to more of a confused horror. Louie glanced back at Della, who swiveled her chair to see. 

She snorted loudly at her brother’s face and snickered just loud enough for the green-clad triplet to hear, “He looks like he ate a moon scorpion.” 

Just like that, the two of them burst into hysterical laughter. Louie leaned helplessly against the railing, holding his stomach with one arm. Della was cackling so hard she fell out of her seat. She scrambled back in, wiping away tears of laughter. 

She was still laughing as she landed the plane. Everyone else hung on for dear life, as she’d forgotten to hit the ‘Fasten Seatbelts’ button. The plane landed bumpily, throwing everyone out of their seats. 

As everyone groaned and crawled out from under cargo, Louie pulled himself up, grabbed at the mic dangling above his head, and choked out, “Thank you for choosing McDuck Airlines!” 

Della started cackling again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! Sorry it’s shorter than chapter one but the top notch comedy should make up for it. 
> 
> I was contemplating having Della teach Louie a thing or two about planes but with his whole “meh” attitude about it I figured she’d just stick with Dewey until another child shows interest. 
> 
> Louie freezes up because he’s still not quite sure how to act around Della. They’ve got an easy camaraderie until he starts second guessing himself. He’ll slowly learn that her sense of humor is just as weird as the rest of the family’s, but until then he’s going to panic when he says something he thinks is out of line. 
> 
> Della, on the other hand, sees Louie freeze in terror and thinks “oh no we’re gonna crash into something aren’t we?!?” and instantly jumps into fight-or-flight. She’s also sort of unsure about Louie’s sense of humor so she’ll save the “you’re disowned” jokes for Donald, lol.


End file.
